


serenade (can't fight this feeling)

by gothyringwald



Series: state of the heart (harringrove tumblr fic) [10]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 01:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16693090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothyringwald/pseuds/gothyringwald
Summary: 'I'm serenading you,' Billy says, as though it should be obvious. He's standing in a pool of moonlight, which shines off his leather jacket, his mussed curls.'Of course you are,' Steve mutters, sighing. He rubs his hands over his arms. 'Uh, that's really…sweet. But maybe 3am isn't the best time?'





	serenade (can't fight this feeling)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SparkGoddess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparkGoddess/gifts).



> This is for lissieisspacey/SparkGoddess who aaaaages ago prompted me for, essentially, Billy serenading Steve. This is...kind of that. Heh.  
> Also, thank you to socknonny for reading this over for me and cheerleading!!!

  


Steve is woken by a sudden blast of music. It's muffled, like it's coming from somewhere outside, but it's still fucking loud. He groans, squinting at the clock, which reads 3am, and folds his pillow over his head. He figures it's just someone being an asshole and hopes they give up soon. He needs sleep.

But then something hits the window. Steve stills, holding his breath, thinking maybe he's hearing things. Then the sound comes again. He sighs and sits, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. 

He shuffles to the window, rubbing a hand over his face, and throws it open, shivering at the cold gust of air.

'Billy?' Steve squints. Somehow, he feels he should've known it would be Billy.

Billy looks drunk. 'Steeeeeve.' He sways on the spot, holding up a boombox that's blaring…REO Speedwagon? Definitely drunk. Billy would never listen to soft rock sober.

'What are you doing?' Steve hopes the noise hasn't woken anyone else up.

'I'm serenading you,' Billy says, as though it should be obvious. He's standing in a pool of moonlight, which shines off his leather jacket, his mussed curls.

'Of course you are,' Steve mutters, sighing. He rubs his hands over his arms. 'Uh, that's really…sweet. But maybe 3am isn't the best time?'

Lights come on across the courtyard and Steve winces as Mr Vernon throws his window open and yells, 'Turn that racket down or I'm calling the cops!'

Billy sets the boombox down and turns at the words; he starts stumbling across the courtyard, no doubt ready to pick a fight.

'I'm so sorry, Mr Vernon,' Steve says, leaning further out the window, 'he'll turn it down. Right, Billy?'

Billy turns back to Steve, disgruntled neighbour forgotten, looking hurt. 'But I'm _wooing_ you, babe. It's romantic.'

Steve bites back a smile. 'It is. Totally romantic. But, uh, I'm already plenty wooed.' He gestures back toward the apartment. 'We live together.'

Billy narrows his eyes. He doesn't look convinced.

'You can woo me some more inside?' Steve grimaces but Billy perks up.

'Yeah?'

'Yeah,' Steve says, casting a nervous glance at Mr Vernon and several other neighbours who have now joined him in glaring out their windows.

'OK.' Billy starts moving toward the lobby entrance but Steve hisses, 'Boombox!' and Billy pauses, frowns, then turns back. He picks the boombox up but doesn't turn the music down.

'Ugh.' Steve lets his head thunk against the window. He waves apologetically at the neighbours, yelling one last sheepish, 'Sorry,' before he closes the window. He takes a deep breath, then moves through the apartment to meet Billy at the door. Billy is on the other side, trying to open it with his car keys. 

Steve reaches for the boombox but Billy pulls it out of his reach.

'Come on, Billy,' Steve says, 'you _know_ Vernon is just looking for an excuse to get us kicked out.' He reaches around Billy and takes the boombox from him. He turns it off.

'You said I could woo you inside,' Billy says. He's not pouting but it's a near thing.

Steve swallows down a laugh. He's never heard Billy use the word 'woo' before. Ever. 'How much did you drink?' he says, ushering Billy inside.

Billy shrugs. 'A lot.'

Steve groans. 'You always get messy when you go out with the guys from the garage.'

'Shoulda come with us,' Billy says, taking off his jacket and throwing it on the floor. 

'I have to be up early to pick up my parents from the airport,' Steve says, picking up the jacket.

'Your dad still hates me,' Billy says, flopping down on the sofa.

Steve throws the jacket on Billy—who paws at it until he emerges from beneath it with a frown—then sits beside him. He sets the boombox on the coffee table, out of Billy's reach. 'Gonna tell me what this is about?' He quickly adds, 'Without using the word “woo”.'

Billy scrubs a hand over his face and scrunches up his nose. 'Todd was talking about the shit he does for his wife and I thought I should be more, you know, romantic. Show I 'preciate you.'

There is a part of Steve—the part that has only had three hours sleep—that still wants to throttle Billy. But mostly he just wants to hug him. Still, he says, 'So you decided to wake up the entire apartment complex?'

'I was doing that thing from that movie you like.' Billy waves his hand. 

' _Say Anything..._?'

'Yeah, the dude with the pen.'

'You're an idiot,' Steve says, but he's smiling wide and true now. He presses a kiss to Billy's temple and says, 'But you're my idiot.'

Billy half-smiles. 'You gonna kiss me properly, or what?' Always so demanding. 

Steve rolls his eyes. 'C'mere,' he says, and wraps a hand around the back of Billy's neck. He pulls Billy closer and Billy's eyes flutter shut. Steve pauses. 'You didn't drink any Tequila, did you?'

Billy shakes his head, eyes still closed.

'Good, I don't want you puking on me. Again,' Steve says then leans in and presses their mouths together. Even after all this time kissing Billy still makes his skin tingle. Steve hums into Billy's mouth; he tastes like beer and whiskey. He pulls away, runs a hand over Billy's face. 'Why'd you pick that song?'

Billy flushes and even through the haze of alcohol he seems a little embarrassed. He doesn't pull away from Steve, though. 'It's our song.'

Steve blinks. 'Our song.'

'Yeah.'

'We don't have— I'd know if we had a song?'

Billy cuts his gaze away from Steve. 'I used to listen to it a lot. When we first, you know. Started...this. So it's our song to me.'

'You never told me that,' Steve says. 

'S'embarrassing,' Billy says. 'I've got a rep to protect.'

Steve shakes his head. 'I love you.'

'Me too.'

'But please don't wake me up at 3am with REO Speedwagon again.'

'OK.' Billy tilts his head. 'Next time I'll play Foreigner.' He looks pleased with himself, lips titled in a smug smile.

Steve knows Billy is joking, knows all of his tells, so he says, 'You won't be laughing in the morning, mister.' He digs his fingers into Billy's side, finding the ticklish spot just below Billy's ribs. Billy squirms away, biting his lip against a giggle. 'I'm getting up early and I'm going to make as much noise as possible.'

'You wouldn't, you're too soft,' Billy says in the tone of a man confident that he's right.

'Just try me,' Steve says, but he's smiling, and then Billy kisses him again, pushing him down onto the couch. Steve loses himself in the kiss, relishing the weight of Billy on top of him, the feel of Billy's skin under his palms, his tongue in his mouth. 

'I'd be a rich man if I could bottle the way you kiss,' Steve says when they part.

Billy smiles crookedly then buries his face in Steve's neck with a sigh. After a few minutes, Steve realises Billy is snoring softly and huffs. He shifts so they're lying somewhat comfortably, Billy draped over Steve and Steve with his arms wrapped tight around Billy. Maybe he should drag Billy to bed but this is nice and he can probably hear his alarm from out here. If not, his parents can afford a taxi. Steve hums softly, the same tune that had woken him up not long ago, and is soon snoring in harmony with Billy.

  


**Author's Note:**

> It's still serenading even if he's not actually singing, right? (The song Billy ~woos Steve with is Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon.)
> 
> Also, this has to be set sometime after April 1989 because of the _Say Anything..._ reference. My backstory is they've been living together for a year or two by this point.
> 
> Feel free to come find me on tumblr [@gothyringwald](http://gothyringwald.tumblr.com/) :) my inbox and IMs are always open! The fic [is up on tumblr too so feel free to reblog](http://gothyringwald.tumblr.com/post/180359658785/serenade-cant-fight-this-feeling) if you like or save it there if you prefer reading there :)
> 
> I've been going through a rough patch confidence wise and I actually had this up last week or so and then I deleted. But...here I am. Again. And now I'm going to go log off so I don't delete it again!


End file.
